Ice in Hell
by The-Oddish
Summary: Bobby misses his old friend John. And apparently John misses him a lot too. There will be slash in future chapters.
1. Default Chapter

"Ice in Hell"-- a Pyro/Iceman fic, after X2.  
  
Bobby POV  
  
"Bobby?"   
  
I glanced up. There was Rogue. Rogue, standing there, dressed in her usual gloves and cover-up clothes.   
  
"Bobby, we're goin' shopping. Want to come?"   
  
"Who's we?"   
  
"Me, Jubilee, Kitty, Tracey, Jamie and Logan."   
  
"Logan?"   
  
"Yeah, Logan. Logan's goin' to carry the stuff we buy."   
  
Shopping. With Rogue and Logan. While Rogue hangs on to Logan's arm and giggles with Logan and drags Logan off to look at stuff, while Jubilee giggles and Jamie makes a pain out of himself. No thanks. "I'm uhm, busy," I found myself lying. "Er, homework."   
  
"Oh. Okay. If that's what you want."   
  
"Yeah. Seeya."   
  
And she went. Good... what did I mean, good? Oh well. A bit of peace, what's wrong with that?   
  
I had lots of choices. I could go work out in the Danger Room by myself (much more fun when John was around to join me), I could actually do some homework (Mr Summers had set us some really awful algebra), I could... write a letter to John.   
  
I promised myself I wouldn't. After all, he deserted us straight after he went totally crazy and killed however many people, nearly getting us all killed. But I still missed him, more than anything. More than... more than my parents. I might see John again. I'd never see my parents again. But John... I had to have some answers. I had a better understanding on what Ronny had done. Ruin my life, yeah, but he was scared. John had just turned into a completely different person, and I thought I knew him. Why? I needed some answers, and I needed them now. I scrabbled about on my desk for a pen.   
  
Dear John.   
  
And now what?   
  
John, what happened? I miss having you around. Rogue misses you. Can't we meet up some time and talk?  
  
Bobby.   
  
That would do.   
  
I asked the professor where to send it, and he admitted to having Magneto's current address and promised to pass it on. Which is why, days later, I got a phone call.   
  
* * *   
  
"Bobby! Phone for yooou!"   
  
Huh? I don't get phone calls. "Hello?"   
  
"Snowdude!"   
  
"John?"   
  
"Pyro."   
  
"Pyro then. Hi!"   
  
"Hey, Iceman. How's it going then?"   
  
"Same as always. What about you though?"   
  
"I don't want to discuss it right now. I think Mystique's pretending to be some weird statue next to me. You want to meet up someplace?"   
  
"Er, sure."   
  
* * *   
  
I have never been so nervous in my life. John-sorry, Pyro-however, was totally relaxed. He was sitting slouched in a chair in McDonalds before I arrived. He was flicking his lighter on and off, eyeing up a girl in a short skirt walking past and grinning at me.   
  
"Iceman! Sit down, man." He kicked the chair out with his foot. "Finally. I was starting to think you'd stood me up-Mystique would never let me forget it, she's been going on about my 'date with my boyfriend' for days."   
  
I blushed. I don't know why.   
  
"It's just been her and me for about a week anyway. I don't know where Maggie is. There's a couple of others. And they'd kill me if I told you all about it."   
  
I nodded.   
  
"What happened to you? It's not been that long!" He chucked his lighter to me. "Here. See, you can trust me. I can't hurt you now."   
  
I reached out to grab it out the air, and it fell straight through my fingers and bounced onto the floor. My face grew scarlet. Why was I making such an idiot out of myself? I bent down and scooped it up in my fingers and pocketed it.   
  
"We're mates, remember? We shared a room? Don't look so nervous."   
  
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "It's just..."   
  
"It's okay! I swear! Look. You could freeze my blood in my veins and kill me, right here on the floor in McDonalds. And they'd probably sweep my carcass up off the floor and jam it in a burger bun. And you could have that for lunch. But I'm trusting you. You want me to buy you lunch? Then you won't have to eat me." He winked at me. "And I told Mystique there wouldn't be anything like that."   
  
I went red again.   
  
"You're a cheese burger and fries kinda guy, right?"   
  
I nodded.   
  
He got up, leaving me sat at the table with his lighter in my pocket. So I had a play with it. It took a few clumsy attempts, but suddenly I found myself flicking it in the exact same rhythm as John always does. When I looked up he was watching me. I flicked it shut and shoved it into my pocket.   
  
He laughed. "Here." He pushed my food in front of me and I went to pay him, but he stopped me. "Lunch is on me, okay?"   
  
"Sure?"   
  
"Absolutely. I've missed you, man." He started eating and I picked at a fry, nervously.   
  
"Eat, man. What happened? Last time I saw you, you were always stuffing your face with food. I'll buy you an ice cream if you're a good boy and eat all your fries," he teased.   
  
Mmmm, ice cream. If there's anything that calms me down, it's got to be stuff that's come straight out a freezer. I nodded.   
  
"Always have been a good boy," he continued. I wished he wouldn't do that tongue thing. I mean, yes, it was funny, but I was starting to get uncomfortable. I was expecting Jubilee to jump out from behind the Happy Meal display and yell, "Ha! Bobby, wait till I tell Rogue you're cheating on her with a guy!"   
  
"You sure you don't want to come back with me?" John asked, looking serious.   
  
"Huh?" I'd been daydreaming about Jubilee and Kitty and all the rest of them teasing me forever.   
  
"Join me... join the Brotherhood."   
  
Oh. Yes. The Brotherhood. Me? The guy who's been teased for years because he says "gosh" instead of "God"? Join the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants? Ha. "Uhm... buh... Rogue."   
  
"Ohhh, right, yes, your darling beloved one Marie." He shrugged. "Can I have my lighter back?"   
  
I was about to be scared of what he might do and give it back, but as long as I had his lighter, he couldn't hurt me. Ha. I felt for it in my pocket. "Nope."   
  
"Aww, come on Icicle, give," he begged. "I haven't got any money to buy a new one, and that one cost me a fortune."   
  
"Maybe I should keep it as a souvenir," I said, really getting into it. I took it out my pocket and tossed it into the air. It would've looked really cool had I not dropped it. It clattered to the floor. John's faster than me so he bent down, grabbed it, and stuck it in his own pocket. "I better get back," he said casually. "Unless you want me to walk you home?"   
  
I shrugged. "Whatever."   
  
"Fine. Coming then?"   
  
And so I followed him. As if we were going to his home and not mine. He's so much more controlling than me.   
  
We walked most of the way in silence. He flicked his lighter. Flick. Flick. Flick. I noticed after a while that I was leaving frozen footprints behind me.   
  
"John?"   
  
"It's Pyro."   
  
"Pyro then. Are you okay?"   
  
"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?"   
  
"I don't know. You just seem... quiet."  
  
"I'm fine! Drop it, alright?"   
  
And there we were, at the front gates.   
  
"This is the bit where we say goodbye," Pyro said pointedly.   
  
"Er... goodbye then."  
  
I turned towards the gates but he grabbed my arm to stop me. "Wait! Do you wanna meet up again tomorrow? If you want to. No pressure."   
  
"Oh. Yeah, sure. Tomorrow?"  
  
"Same time, same place. Be there or be a triangle."   
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Who wants more? Admit it, who loves Pyro-on-Bobby loving? Oh, just me then. Still. Tell me if you want more. 


	2. Chapter II

"Ice in Hell" part two-- the second part of a Pyro/Iceman fic, still after X2, of course  
  
Oh, and if you like this, go read a fic by the writer who first got me interested in this pairing, LadyMorgaine1 (user ID : 209956). "The Romance of Dishes" is one of my favourite fanfics. But uhm, read my fic before you read that, bitte??? Ohhhh... go on... okay... go read a decent fic instead.   
  
Bobby POV-- love Bobby POV because he's confused and worried and innocent *g*  
  
"Bobby?"   
  
"Ugghhh." I looked up. There I was, in bed, and there was Jubilee standing in the doorway in her yellow pyjamas staring at me.   
  
"Bobby, what are you doing in John's bed?"   
  
"Buh--whhhaaa?" Oops. I promise you, I fell asleep in my own bed... didn't I? Okay, yes, I did. And then some time in the night I woke up and crawled half-conciously into the bed that used to be John's. "What are you doing in my room, Jubilee?"   
  
"Miss Munroe said I had to come and find you. Mr Summers wants to know why you skipped your math lesson this morning."   
  
"I--"   
  
She threw my alarm clock at me. "It's ten past eleven, Bobby. Lessons started two hours ago. Mr Summers wants to speak to you later. Or now." And then she left.   
  
I tried to remember what had happened. I'd gone to bed early. Everyone was asking me about where I'd been, and then Kitty guessed I'd been with John, and ohhhhhhh, I just didn't want to deal with it. It WASN'T a date, why was everyone assuming that? Rogue got all put out about it. She was believing Kitty and Jubilee's stupid rumours over me. I had to admit that yes, I had been with John. Yet no matter how many times I tried to explain, she just got more into the idea that I was dating John.   
  
Me. Dating John. Can you think of anything more STUPID?  
  
I begged Rogue and eventually I convinced her to take her mud-coated boots off my bed, not to mention put her gloves back on. Incidentally, the reason her boots were muddy was because her and Logan went on a "nature walk".   
  
And I can't go and meet an old friend in McDonalds?  
  
Her. And Logan.   
  
"What could've happened, Bobby? You know Ah can't touch anyone."   
  
Could've fooled me. She's touched me enough times... and I have to say it gets longer every time she tries it before I go into agonising pain. In fact if I were the jealous type, I might say Logan had been giving her "lessons" in controlling her powers.   
  
There. I had an excuse anyway. I couldn't sleep in my bed because it was muddy. And John's bed was just sat there. Yes. Now all I had to do today was apologise to Mr Summers and explain I had trouble sleeping last night, and so I slept in, then apologise to Rogue and make it up to her about John, and then meet John.   
  
Wait. Yesterday was Sunday. I didn't have lessons at one in the afternoon yesterday. Today I did. Oh, I'd have to phone John and cancel--which I couldn't, because I didn't have his number. I sat down. And then I stood up and started putting some clothes on.   
  
* * *   
  
"I'm ever so sorry, Mr Summers."   
  
* * *   
  
"I'm ever so sorry, Marie. Rogue. I'm sorry."   
  
* * *   
  
"I'm sorry I'm so late, John. I had class."   
  
"So you could've skipped it."   
  
"I don't skip classes, John."   
  
"It's Pyro!"   
  
"Pyro."   
  
He was standing outside McDonalds, looking agitated, when I met with him. Playing with his lighter, and I'm pretty sure he was biting his nails before he saw me. And so I had to explain. He wasn't too impressed.   
  
What could I do? I ended up explaining the whole story. The nature walk, how I couldn't sleep, how Mr Summers had given me extra homework as punishment.   
  
"That's harsh, man." he flicked his lighter again. I just wanted to snatch it off him. "Of course, you know, if you, if you ever wanted to quit the Institute and not have to deal with all that..."   
  
I'd thought he'd been joking last time. Apparently not.   
  
"How is life at the Institute, anyway? And the teachers? What about Dr Grey? She was pretty hot."   
  
Oh... "She's... she's dead, Pyro," I mumbled.   
  
"What?"   
  
"After you left, she... the jet wouldn't start... she sacrificed herself for us all... it..."   
  
He cursed under his breath. "Okay. Here, subject change." He leant over so he could whisper it. "See those chicks there? Bet you anything they're lesbians."   
  
I just looked at him.   
  
"Isn't it obvious? The way they walk together, how they talk right into each other's ears... they're gay. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, I'm just saying they are."   
  
"Mrph."   
  
"Oh, you're not..." he looked at me. "There's nothing wrong with it, you know."  
  
"No, no, I know," I said hurriedly.   
  
"So what do you want to talk about?"   
  
First thing to come into my head. "Rogue?"   
  
"Okay. You said you'd had a row with her?"   
  
"Not exactly."   
  
  
  
"Her and Logan. I don't blame her though..." he looked up at the sky for the moment and then changed the subject. "Her powers aren't any kind of excuse though."  
  
I paused for a moment. "What, you're saying she should like Logan more than me?"   
  
"No way, man. I'm just saying, Logan is pretty hot."   
  
I looked at him.   
  
"You can't deny it, straight or not. He's hot."   
  
I pictured Logan in my head. I shook my head. "I can't see it."   
  
"Only because you're jealous of him," he said, half-teasing.   
  
"I am NOT!" I said, too quickly.   
  
"It's okay," John shrugged. "I'll just say what you want to hear."   
  
I stared at him for a moment.   
  
"Who'd want Logan when they've got you?"   
  
I went slightly red.   
  
  
  
"Joking man, joking. Now are we gonna get something to eat or what?"   
  
* * *   
  
Ice cream. As you might have guessed, I do like ice cream. I love ice cream. It's sort of comforting. And so John bought me a McFlurry, and got himself some fries (I told him to stop buying me food but he refused). He ate his fries in about two seconds and then started begging for some of my ice cream.   
  
We were sat on a wall near McDonalds. And he sudden went, "Icicle... can I have some ice cream?" And gave me the puppy dog look Jubilee gives me when she wants me to cool her drink or lay some ice down to trip someone over for a joke.   
  
I said, "I've only got one spoon," and he said, "So?"   
  
He gestured for me to spoon-feed him, and I figured there was no harm in that, so I did. There was no harm in it for a few moments. I relaxed a bit for the first time with him since before John tried to burn down my parents' house. And we laughed for a moment.   
  
And then I heard a familiar voice. Jubilee. And Kitty. And Tracey as well. Oh, just great. I hissed "shhh!" at John and tried to become as unnoticable as possible.   
  
I failed. "Bobby!"   
  
"Uh, hi Kitty."   
  
"We're going shopping," she explained.  
  
"Oh... good."   
  
"You could come if you like, Bobby," Jubilee added.   
  
"Oh... er..." Can John come? I wanted to ask. But by the way they were acting as if he wasn't there, I gathered not. "No, it's okay. I'll see you back at the mansion later, yeah?"   
  
"Hm, whatever." Jubilee shrugged. "Seeya then."   
  
As they left, John yelled, "Bye, Jubilee." She didn't even look back.   
  
John shrugged. "I should've expected that. They all heard about what I did?"   
  
"Oh yeah. Rumour says you burnt my house to the ground with all my family, great aunts included, six cops and next door's dog inside."   
  
John snorted. "I was just having a bit of fun. Anyway, don't you ever find your power takes over, and you just want to freeze everything?"   
  
I shifted uncomfortably. I've always tried to control my power.   
  
John looked at me. "It bothers you, doesn't it?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"The trying to burn your house down stunt."   
  
I looked away. "I... well... you know... it's..."   
  
"I'm... sorry."   
  
I was totally confused. John doesn't apologise. Especially recently, it's all "look at me, I'm a bad guy, I burn things and I love it." Mind you, "I'm sorry I torched your house"... it doesn't exactly make up for it. But he sounded as if he meant it.   
  
"I couldn't help it... I can't always control my power. Not once I get started. I was never made for Xavier's. Good job they got you to follow in Cyclops's footsteps, isn't it?" He grinned at me to show he was joking.   
  
And I was totally falling for the I'm not bad, I'm just misunderstood act. A little part of me thought he was talking rubbish, he was nuts and he wanted to torch every building in town, just for the fun of it, but I wanted to believe him. Anyway, maybe he was telling the truth.   
  
I prised his lighter gently from between his fingers. He didn't try to snatch it back, he just watched me. As if he wanted to know what I was going to do with it. I clicked it, a small flame shooting up.   
  
John held his hand up and, using one finger he wrote my name in the air in flames.   
  
"John!" I hissed. "Someone'll see!"   
  
"Alright, so we'll go somewhere private and I'll show you some more, right?"   
  
I wondered if that had been meant to sound as suggestive as it did.   
  
I shrugged. "Where are we gonna go?"   
  
"Mystique's out for the day. 'Senator Kelly' is needed some place. No one would know if you came back to mine for a bit."   
  
I wanted to. But I was scared. Part of me remembered the look on John's face, the way John had no remorse even when he was probably going to kill people. How he didn't care. And I was worried about what Rogue would think. And what everyone else would think. Do it, the voice inside my head said. No one will know, nothing will happen. "Mm, okay."   
  
"But, do me one favour?"   
  
"What?"   
  
"Don't tell Xavier where it is." 


End file.
